New York, October, 1931.
"Why do we have to do this again?" Molly grumbled early the next morning as Eliza was supervising the children in washing their faces and hands. "We had to do it yesterday when baldie came. I hate him. He looks so superior and smug all the time!"
Eliza grinned. "Well at least you've learnt some new words to describe people from those lessons you complain so much about Molly." She said. "And we have to do this so that the rich man who is visiting today will hopefully give some money to the state for our orphanages."
"Ha!" Molly snorted. "If he gives the money do you really think we're going to see one cent of it? They'll probably spend it all themselves!"
"We have to have hope Molly. When we don't have hope we don't have anything." Eliza said absently. The last two and a half months had been both the hardest and the most rewarding in their own respective ways. At the same time as being grateful for having the job when many people had none, Eliza hadn't realised how tiring the job would be. In her previous positions as a governess they had also been 24 hour jobs, but instead of there being only a few children here there were thirty-five! However when one of the orphans learnt something new, or did something else they were proud of Eliza knew her job was rewarding.
"Right, and maybe the rich man will come along and adopt one of us, and take us to their huge home and give us everything." Molly snorted.
"You never know!" One of the younger girls said. "It happened to Little Orphan Annie!" The comic strip staring the young orphan girl had first appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1924, and was still going strong. Molly, or one of the older children read the cartoon to those who still couldn't read, and even the ones who could read it for themselves often gathered around to here the adventures.
"That's made up dummy!" Molly said with a contemptuous look at the child.
"Alright enough!" Eliza said, deciding to stop Molly before she got out of hand. "If we want to believe that could happen we can. If we don't, if we want to believe something else, we can."
The doorbell rang then, echoing through the place. "Okay children, down the front and line up." Eliza instructed. When they were in place Eliza smoothed back her hair which was tied up in a bun, and fixed her dress before answering the door. She knew only too well how desperately the state, and indeed the orphanages, needed the money, and was determined to give out a good impression to the rich man.
"Ah Miss Eliza," Mr. Peterson said jovially. "Long time no see."
"Not long enough." Molly muttered, but Eliza's sharp ears caught it, as well as the sniggers of some of the girls. If Mr. Peterson heard it he didn't mention it!
"Miss Eliza I want you to meet Mr. Gracie. His father, Colonel Archibald Gracie, and himself are considering giving some money to the orphanage." Mr. Peterson said formally. "Unlike many of us in this great country their business interests have not been hit by this terrible depression and they feel it is only their duty to give something to those less fortunate. And, as the Colonel repeated to me on many occasions "Children are our future" hey Edward?"
Eliza now turned to look at the other man. He was standing next to Mr. Peterson with his hat in his hand, his dark hair shining. He was dressed in an immaculate business suit, and during Mr. Peterson's obviously rehearsed speech he had been looking around the foyer of the orphanage. Now he turned and smiled slightly at Mr. Peterson, his lips curving only slightly. "Indeed, indeed." He said clearly having no idea of what Mr. Peterson said. Mr. Peterson for his part also knew his speech had been missed and was somewhat miffed.
"Yes, well, Miss Eliza how about a tour for Edward?" He asked stiffly.
Now Edward Gracie turned to look at Eliza, and a strange expression crossed his face. "Miss Eliza?" He said thoughtfully. "Have we met somewhere before?"
Eliza shook her head. "I doubt it sir." She said.
"Where are you from? I mean, other than New York?" Edward demanded.
Eliza wanted to say Sweden and therefore we could never have met. Instead she sighed and said "Philadelphia."
"Philly?" Edward nodded. "I was brought up there. Where abouts did you live there?"
Eliza wished he would drop it. The last thing she needed was an interrogation by some spoiled, arrogant rich boy. "I lived with my guardian, Caledon Hockley." She said.
"Ah," Edward said with a funny look on his face. "Cal's ward. Of course." And then he turned back to Mr. Peterson. "Shall we get on with this? I've a few rather important things to do today."
Eliza bristled at the tone of his voice. Now that he knew she was only an orphan herself he wasn't interested in her. Not that she wanted him to be interested mind you-not such a spoilt, snobbish man. No man of decent breeding would be interested in her, and she well knew it. The best she would ever do in life was to marry the milkman who had twice professed his love for her since she'd started there. At first she'd laughed at his antics privately, but now she was beginning to wonder. Sure it wouldn't be a life of luxury, but having lived the first six or so years of her life in conditions similar to those of the depression she knew she could cope. By wishing a rich, charming man would come and sweep her off her feet Eliza knew she was only dreaming. Things like that didn't happen to people like her.
"Yes," Eliza said, coldly. "We've got important things to do today, so we best get this over with."
Mr. Peterson gaped at her and frowned.
Edward Gracie however laughed. "Right, well lead on then MISS Eliza." He said.
The tone in his voice when he said Miss made Eliza want to smack the impertinent creep, but she thought of the orphanage and managed to be polite. Later when the orphans were talking about the visit they all agreed Edward Gracie was a snob of the worst kind.
Eliza had smiled. "Rich people often are snobby." She reminded the orphans. "Which is precisely why with your lessons I make every effort for you to get ahead in life."
"But Miss Eliza you're rich!" One of the orphans said.
Eliza smiled slightly. "Of sorts. I only get a thousand every year until I am thirty when I then get the rest in a lump sum. As long as the money doesn't get eaten up in this depression. And as you all well know this years money was spent mostly on you children for those clothes you are wearing now. And I was only a ward of a rich man, hardly what society would consider rich themselves!"
"MISS ELIZA!" One of the orphans called. "James is here with the milk!"
"About time too," Eliza muttered, hurrying to the front. "If he were any later they would have had no milk to go with their dinner tonight."
"Ah Miss Eliza," James said spotting her. "Must I say that dress is very becoming to you." He said.
Eliza smiled. "Why thank you James." She said, accepting the comment graciously.
"It goes with your eyes. I don't think I've ever seen such lovely green eyes you know." James added.
Eliza looked up into his face and smiled. "And you know what James?" She said. "You're looking handsome yourself today too."
James' face went red. Eliza had never been anything but polite despite his many attempts to tell her how much he loved her. It looked as though she had changed her mind!
"Why do we have to do this again?" Molly grumbled early the next morning as Eliza was supervising the children in washing their faces and hands. "We had to do it yesterday when baldie came. I hate him. He looks so superior and smug all the time!"
Eliza grinned. "Well at least you've learnt some new words to describe people from those lessons you complain so much about Molly." She said. "And we have to do this so that the rich man who is visiting today will hopefully give some money to the state for our orphanages."
"Ha!" Molly snorted. "If he gives the money do you really think we're going to see one cent of it? They'll probably spend it all themselves!"
"We have to have hope Molly. When we don't have hope we don't have anything." Eliza said absently. The last two and a half months had been both the hardest and the most rewarding in their own respective ways. At the same time as being grateful for having the job when many people had none, Eliza hadn't realised how tiring the job would be. In her previous positions as a governess they had also been 24 hour jobs, but instead of there being only a few children here there were thirty-five! However when one of the orphans learnt something new, or did something else they were proud of Eliza knew her job was rewarding.
"Right, and maybe the rich man will come along and adopt one of us, and take us to their huge home and give us everything." Molly snorted.
"You never know!" One of the younger girls said. "It happened to Little Orphan Annie!" The comic strip staring the young orphan girl had first appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1924, and was still going strong. Molly, or one of the older children read the cartoon to those who still couldn't read, and even the ones who could read it for themselves often gathered around to here the adventures.
"That's made up dummy!" Molly said with a contemptuous look at the child.
"Alright enough!" Eliza said, deciding to stop Molly before she got out of hand. "If we want to believe that could happen we can. If we don't, if we want to believe something else, we can."
The doorbell rang then, echoing through the place. "Okay children, down the front and line up." Eliza instructed. When they were in place Eliza smoothed back her hair which was tied up in a bun, and fixed her dress before answering the door. She knew only too well how desperately the state, and indeed the orphanages, needed the money, and was determined to give out a good impression to the rich man.
"Ah Miss Eliza," Mr. Peterson said jovially. "Long time no see."
"Not long enough." Molly muttered, but Eliza's sharp ears caught it, as well as the sniggers of some of the girls. If Mr. Peterson heard it he didn't mention it!
"Miss Eliza I want you to meet Mr. Gracie. His father, Colonel Archibald Gracie, and himself are considering giving some money to the orphanage." Mr. Peterson said formally. "Unlike many of us in this great country their business interests have not been hit by this terrible depression and they feel it is only their duty to give something to those less fortunate. And, as the Colonel repeated to me on many occasions "Children are our future" hey Edward?"
Eliza now turned to look at the other man. He was standing next to Mr. Peterson with his hat in his hand, his dark hair shining. He was dressed in an immaculate business suit, and during Mr. Peterson's obviously rehearsed speech he had been looking around the foyer of the orphanage. Now he turned and smiled slightly at Mr. Peterson, his lips curving only slightly. "Indeed, indeed." He said clearly having no idea of what Mr. Peterson said. Mr. Peterson for his part also knew his speech had been missed and was somewhat miffed.
"Yes, well, Miss Eliza how about a tour for Edward?" He asked stiffly.
Now Edward Gracie turned to look at Eliza, and a strange expression crossed his face. "Miss Eliza?" He said thoughtfully. "Have we met somewhere before?"
Eliza shook her head. "I doubt it sir." She said.
"Where are you from? I mean, other than New York?" Edward demanded.
Eliza wanted to say Sweden and therefore we could never have met. Instead she sighed and said "Philadelphia."
"Philly?" Edward nodded. "I was brought up there. Where abouts did you live there?"
Eliza wished he would drop it. The last thing she needed was an interrogation by some spoiled, arrogant rich boy. "I lived with my guardian, Caledon Hockley." She said.
"Ah," Edward said with a funny look on his face. "Cal's ward. Of course." And then he turned back to Mr. Peterson. "Shall we get on with this? I've a few rather important things to do today."
Eliza bristled at the tone of his voice. Now that he knew she was only an orphan herself he wasn't interested in her. Not that she wanted him to be interested mind you-not such a spoilt, snobbish man. No man of decent breeding would be interested in her, and she well knew it. The best she would ever do in life was to marry the milkman who had twice professed his love for her since she'd started there. At first she'd laughed at his antics privately, but now she was beginning to wonder. Sure it wouldn't be a life of luxury, but having lived the first six or so years of her life in conditions similar to those of the depression she knew she could cope. By wishing a rich, charming man would come and sweep her off her feet Eliza knew she was only dreaming. Things like that didn't happen to people like her.
"Yes," Eliza said, coldly. "We've got important things to do today, so we best get this over with."
Mr. Peterson gaped at her and frowned.
Edward Gracie however laughed. "Right, well lead on then MISS Eliza." He said.
The tone in his voice when he said Miss made Eliza want to smack the impertinent creep, but she thought of the orphanage and managed to be polite. Later when the orphans were talking about the visit they all agreed Edward Gracie was a snob of the worst kind.
Eliza had smiled. "Rich people often are snobby." She reminded the orphans. "Which is precisely why with your lessons I make every effort for you to get ahead in life."
"But Miss Eliza you're rich!" One of the orphans said.
Eliza smiled slightly. "Of sorts. I only get a thousand every year until I am thirty when I then get the rest in a lump sum. As long as the money doesn't get eaten up in this depression. And as you all well know this years money was spent mostly on you children for those clothes you are wearing now. And I was only a ward of a rich man, hardly what society would consider rich themselves!"
"MISS ELIZA!" One of the orphans called. "James is here with the milk!"
"About time too," Eliza muttered, hurrying to the front. "If he were any later they would have had no milk to go with their dinner tonight."
"Ah Miss Eliza," James said spotting her. "Must I say that dress is very becoming to you." He said.
Eliza smiled. "Why thank you James." She said, accepting the comment graciously.
"It goes with your eyes. I don't think I've ever seen such lovely green eyes you know." James added.
Eliza looked up into his face and smiled. "And you know what James?" She said. "You're looking handsome yourself today too."
James' face went red. Eliza had never been anything but polite despite his many attempts to tell her how much he loved her. It looked as though she had changed her mind!